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To examine the antioxidant activity and total phenolic content of different solvent fractions of Pedalium murex (P. murex) Linn fruits (Family: Pedaliaceae) as well as the correlation between the total antioxidant capacity and total phenolic content.In the present study, the antioxidant activities of P. murex were evaluated using six in-vitro assays, namely total antioxidant assay, DPPH assay, reducing power, nitric oxide scavenging, hydrogen peroxide scavenging and deoxyribose scavenging assays, and total phenol contents were also investigated.The ethyl acetate (EA) fraction was found to have high levels of phenolic content (298.72±2.09 mg GAE/g). The EA fraction exhibit higher total antioxidant capacity, higher percentage of DPPH radical scavenging activity (135.11±2.95µg/mL), nitric oxide (200.57±4.51µg/mL), hydrogen peroxide (217.91±6.12 µg/mL), deoxyribose (250.01±4.68µg/mL) and higher reducing power. Correlation coefficient (r(2) =0.914) was found to be significant between total phenolic content and total antioxidant activity.In general, the results indicate that the EA fractions are rich in phenolic antioxidants with potent free radical scavenging activity implying their importance to human health.

Copyright © 2011 Kirsten Benkendorff et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited., Marine molluscs from the family Muricidae are the source of a homeopathic remedy Murex, which is used to treat a range of conditions, including cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro bioactivity of egg mass extracts of the Australian muricid Dicathais orbita, in comparison to the Murex remedy, against human carcinoma and lymphoma cells. Liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was used to characterize the chemical composition of the extracts and homeopathic remedy, focusing on biologically active brominated indoles. The MTS (tetrazolium salt) colorimetric assay was used to determine effects on cell viability, while necrosis and apoptosis induction were investigated using flow cytometry (propidium iodide and Annexin-V staining, resp.). Cells were treated with varying concentrations (1–0.01 mg/mL) of crude and semi-purified extracts or preparations (dilute 1 M and concentrated 4 mg/mL) from the Murex remedy (4 h). The Murex remedy showed little biological activity against the majority of cell lines tested. In contrast, the D. orbita egg extracts significantly decreased cell viability in the majority of carcinoma cell lines. Flow cytometry revealed these extracts induce necrosis in HT29 colorectal cancer cells, whereas apoptosis was induced in Jurkat cells. These findings highlight the biomedical potential of Muricidae extracts in the development of a natural therapy for the treatment of neoplastic tumors and lymphomas.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes in 144 patients in Kuwait were determined by the Murex Anti-HCV Serotyping Assay. Twenty-nine (38%) of 77 Kuwaiti patients were found to be infected with genotype 4 and 27% with genotype 1 while of the 41 Egyptian expatriate patients 37 (90%) were infected with genotype 4. Results show that although in native Kuwaiti patients the dominant genotype is 4, other genotypes, especially type 1, occur frequently. Copyright © 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel

Thirteen polymorphic microsatellite markers have been isolated and characterized for the black murex (Hexaplex nigritus). These loci are moderately to highly variable with seven to 37 alleles within 113 individuals from four populations in the Northern Gulf of California. Expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.43 to 0.98. High variability indicates that these markers will be useful for studying population structure and connectivity in this species.

The present study aimed at creating a so called "single-site baseline" (SSB) of imposex in the purple dye murex (Bolinus brandaris) from the Ria Formosa lagoon (Algarve coast, southern Portugal), at the moment that the IMO Antifouling System Convention (banning globally the use of organotin compounds in antifouling paints on ships' hulls) entered into force (September 2008). In the context of monitoring long-term temporal trends of pollution levels, SSBs are proposed whenever it is difficult to obtain adequate numbers of bioindicator specimens in most of the study area or if significant short-term variability in imposex levels is likely to occur. In order to deal with these constraints, this study created a SSB by sampling on a monthly-basis (from October 2008 to September 2009) in a single site considered to be representative of the Ria Formosa as a whole (vicinities of the Culatra Island) and where B. brandaris is abundant all year round. The SSB provided a good characterisation of the monthly variation in the imposex indices, which ranged throughout the year between 72.7 < I% < 100; 0.08 < FPLI < 1.73; 1.20 < RPLI < 23.27; 1.29 < VDSI < 3.54. Only a SSB could have detected this large variability, which otherwise might have been unnoticed and would have produced biased temporal and spatial comparisons, leading to erroneous interpretations of environmental monitoring data. Therefore, this SSB of imposex in B. brandaris constitutes valuable reference data to assess the future trend of organotin pollution in the Ria Formosa, after the benchmark date of the complete eradication of organotin from antifouling agents was implemented worldwide. published

Summary The male gonoduct of Murex brandaris (Hexaplex brandarte) is covered by a columnar ciliated epithelium in which some goblet cells are located at the first level of the gonoduct. The structure of these cells suggests a transport and secretory epithelium. Some differences in ciliary organization and in cellular junctions are shown. The presence of some abnormal cilia is also detected.

The composition of the indigoid dyes and their precursors derived from the hypobranchial glandular secretions of Murex trunculus and Murex brandaris have been determined by high-resolution mass spectrometry. M trunculus secretions yielded three dyes: 6,6′-dibromoindigotin (DBI; CI 75800), indigotin (Cl Natural Blue 1; Cl 75780) and 6-bromoindigotin (MBI), the latter reported here for the first time. Indirubin (Cl Natural Blue 1; Cl 75790) constituted a relatively small amount of the final dye product. No statistically significant sexual differentiation in the final dye colorations was observed when the secretions were fully developed in light. When developed in the dark, male glandular secretions were more purple than those of pseudohermaphroditic females, implying that male glands contain less of the unsubstituted indoxyl precursors, which oxidatively couple in air to form blue indigotin and MBI. M brandaris yielded solely DBI and its precursor the 6-bromo-2-methylthioindoxyl (tyrindoxyl); no methylsulphone precursor was observed, although reported by earlier investigators. Moreover, exposure to light was found to be critical for the formation of the greenish-coloured intermediate 2,2′-bis-substituted 6,6′-dibromo-2,2′-di-indoxyl, not only for the latter's decomposition to DBI.

To compare three human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV) ELISAs in a high-prevalence setting, we recruited 300 adults: 125 relatives of HTLV-infected subjects and 175 patients with possible diagnoses of HTLV-associated diseases. Sera were tested with Platelia, Murex, and Ortho ELISA. Samples with positive or discordant ELISA underwent confirmatory Inno-Lia testing. Inno-Lia gave 85/300 HTLV-1-positive and 1/300 HTLV-2-positive results. The positive predictive value was 98% for Platelia, and 100% for Murex and Ortho. Six samples had discordant ELISA; Murex gave one false-negative result, Ortho two and Platelia one. In high-prevalence settings, it is recommended to test samples with two ELISAs before considering them HTLV-seronegative.

Morphological, cytological, and agronomic characteristics are reported for 560 accessions of the Medicago murex Willd. complex collected from countries bordering the Mediterranean and grown in field plots in Western Australia. All plants of the 2n = 16 taxon were shown to have white flecks on the leaves, a mean number of florets on each peduncle of 2.5, and most had three distinct ridges on the pod coils. Plants of the two taxa were equally vigorous and both were widespread, occurring sympatrically in many Mediterranean countries. The 2n = 16 and 2n = 14 taxa do not cross and should be recognized as separate species. A reexamination showed that Willdenow's original material of M. murex was most likely to be of the 2n = 16 species. We suggest that the name of the 2n = 14 species is Medicago sphaerocarpos Bertol. Key words: Medicago murex, Medicago lesinsii, Medicago heterocarpa, taxonomy, distribution, speciation.

Four major components of blue and purple natural dyes of the Indigoid class were separated and spectrally characterised by high-performance liquid chromatography: indigotin, indirubin, 6-monobromoindigotin and 6,6′-dibromoindigotin. It has been shown for the first time that a dyeing with a hypobranchial glandular secretion of Murex trunculus L contains indigotin and both its mono-and di-substituted brominated derivative. The analytical features presented may be used to study the composition of old dyes on yarns.

Concentrations of mercury, cadmium and lead were determined in the soft tissue of four types of marine organisms (Mytilus galloprovincialis Lmk., Murex trunculus, Serranus scribal and Serranus cabrilla), collected along the Italian coasts from Genoa (Ligurian Sea) to Termoli (Adriatic Sea) in the summer of 1986. The analyses were performed by the electrothermal (cadmium and lead) and cold vapour (mercury) atomic absorption techniques. Levels of metals in Mytilus galloprovincialis were for the most part low, except at a few sites. Murex trunculus contained higher mean concentrations of mercury and cadmium and lower concentrations of lead. In Serranus scriba and Serranus cabrilla, mean levels of mercury were 316±154 and 181±86 μg l−1 fresh weight, respectively, and the levels of cadmium and lead were generally below the detection limits calculated for both these elements.

Murex tenuirostrum Lamarck, 1822 Fig. 1B Murex tenuirostrum Lamarck, 1822: 159. Other reference: Murex tribulus - Cernohorsky 1967: 115 (in part), pl. 14, fig. 2. MATERIAL EXAMINED.— Fiji. MUSORSTOM 10: stn DW 1333, BORDAU 1: stn DW 1498, 18°41’S, 178°28’W, 300-307 m, 1 dd 16°50’S, 178°13’E, 200-215 m, 1 dd juv; stn CP 1371, 18°12’S, juv. — SUVA 4: stn DW 09, 18°21’S, 178°06’E, 37-41 m, 1 lv; stn 178°33’E, 135-151 m, 1 lv juv. — SUVA 2: stn DW 44, 17°52’S, DW 16, 18°26’S, 178°07’E, 32-36 m, 1 lv; stn CP 18, 18°26’S, 177°13’E, 33 m, 4 dd; stn CP 45, 17°52’S, 177°13’E, 35 m, 2 178°06’E, 44-45 m, 4 lv; stn CP 19, 18°26’S, 178°04’E, 48-50 m, lv, 1 dd; stn CP 48, 17°56’S, 177°14’E, 16 m, 2 lv; stn BS 49, 7 lv & dd; stn CP 20, 18°26’S, 178°02’E, 50-51 m, 17 lv & dd; 17°45’S, 177°12’E, 23 m, 1 lv; stn DW 50, 17°45’S, 177°14’E, stn CP 30, 18°17’S, 178°04’E, 32 m, 6 lv & dd. 36 m, 1dd; stn CP 57, 17°43’S, 177°23’E, 17 m, 2 lv; stn CP 65, Tonga. BORDAU 2: stn CP 1582, 18°41’S, 174°03’W, 79-82 m, 17°48’S, 177°13’E, 32 m, 1 lv juv; stn CP 66, 17°45’S, 177°14’E, 1 lv (juv.), 1 dd. 37 m, 1 lv (Fig. 1B); stn CP 67, 17°44’S, 177°18’E, 28 m, 1 lv. — DISTRIBUTION. — Indo-West Pacific, Fiji and Tonga, live in 16-135 m, shells to 307 m. REMARKS. — Murex tenuirostrum is probably the most common species in the genus. It has been wrongly identified as M. tribulus Linné, 1758 in many publications but differs from M. tribulus in having a more nodose (cancellate) sculpture, fewer spines on the siphonal canal, and more rounded and nodose first teleoconch whorls (Ponder & Vokes 1988: 24). Both species have a conical multispiral protoconch, indicating planktotrophic larval development., Published as part of Houart, Roland & Héros, Virginie, 2008, Muricidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) from Fiji and Tonga, pp. 437-480 in Mémoires du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle 196 on page 440, {"references":["CERNOHORSKY W. O. 1967. - The Muricidae of Fiji (Mollusca: Gastropoda)."]}

Murex aduncospinosus (Sowerby, 1841) Fig. 1A Murex ternispina var. aduncospinosus Sowerby, 1841: 1, pl. 188, fig. 68. Other references: Murex trapa - Cernorhorsky 1967: 115 (in part), pl. 14, fig. 1 (non Murex trapa Röding, 1798). Murex aduncospinosus - Ponder & Vokes 1988: 34, fig. 81-F. MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Fiji. MUSORSTOM 10: stn DW juv; stn CP 47, 17°54’S, 177°14’E, 25 m, 22 lv many juv (Fig. 1A) 1362, 18°12’S, 178°36’E, 80-89 m, 3 lv, 2 dd juv; stn CP 1366, & dd many juv; stn BS 49, 17°45’S, 177°12’E, 23 m, 6 lv; stn 18°12’S, 178°33’E, 149-168 m, 1 dd juv. — SUVA 2: stn CP CP 80, 17°38’S, 177°20’E, 36 m, 1 lv, 1 dd; stn CP 84, 17°40’S, 23, 18°11’S, 178°34’E, 26 m, 1 lv, 2 dd; stn CP 24, 18°11’S, 177°22’E, 22 m, 1 lv. — SUVA 4: stn BS 29, 18°17’S, 178°05’E, 178°34’E, 26 m, 1 lv; stn BS 34, 18°08’S, 178°25’S, 20 m, 1 lv 35 m, 1 lv juv; stn CP 30, 18°17’S, 178°04’E, 32 m, 2 dd. DISTRIBUTION. — Central Indo-West Pacific: Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia and Fiji, live in 22-80 m, shells to 168 m. REMARKS. — Ponder & Vokes (1988: 34) commented on the various forms of M. aduncospinosus and illustrated a beautiful specimen from Fiji (fig. 81F). In the Fiji form, the space between the spiral cords is coloured dark brown. Otherwise the protoconch, teleoconch sculpture and organization of the spines are identical to the typical form, from Indonesia., Published as part of Houart, Roland & Héros, Virginie, 2008, Muricidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) from Fiji and Tonga, pp. 437-480 in Mémoires du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle 196 on pages 439-440

The artisanal fishery for muricid gastropods in the Ria Formosa lagoon (Algarve coast, southern Portugal) is a locally important fishing activity because the banded murex ( Hexaplex trunculus ) and the purple dye murex ( Bolinus brandaris ) are greatly appreciated seafoods with high commercial value in the Portuguese seafood market. An integrated study was implemented to monitor the muricid gastropod fishery with the artisanal fishing gear (“wallet-line”) through monthly experimental fishing operations carried out during one year. The aim was to describe the fishing operations and fishing gear, to estimate the fishing yield, to characterise the target species catch composition, and to identify by-catch species and discards. The “wallet-line” is neither a species-specific nor a size-selective fishing gear, because the catches comprised a variety of by-catch species and a high proportion of commercially under-sized target species. The vast majority of the by-catch is discarded immediately on board, so mortality is presumably negligible. The CPUE of both target species and by-catch species decreased during consecutive fishing days, mainly due to declining bait attraction. Considering the overall information gathered on this fishing activity, some management measures are proposed for this artisanal fishery, which might ultimately contribute to the long-term sustainable exploitation of the fishing resource.

Geographically, the Phoenicians present a challenge to define. According to the ancient classical authors, they occupied the entire Levantine coast between the Suez and the Gulf of Alexandretta. In actuality, however, their heartland was considerably smaller, consisting of a narrow coastal strip between the Lebanon mountains and the Mediterranean sea stretching from northern Palestine to southern Syria – a slightly extended version of modern-day Lebanon. This dichotomy suggests that the term ‘Phoenician’ in antiquity was broadly applied to any Semitic sea-trader, regardless of origins. Such ambiguity may indeed reflect historical reality. Unlike their Syrian, Palestinian, or Mesopotamian neighbors, the Phoenicians were a confederation of traders rather than a country defined by territorial boundaries. Their empire was less a stretch of land than a patchwork of widely scattered merchant communities. Maritime trade, not territory, defined their sphere. In this geographic survey, the parameters of this Phoenician maritime confederation will be reviewed, as it encompassed regions around the Mediterranean basin and beyond, into the coastal Atlantic regions of Europe and West Africa. The areas to be covered are the Levantie continental homeland with its major port cities (Tyre, Sidon, Byblos, and Arvad), the island of Cyprus, the Aegean (including Rhodes and Crete), the North African littoral (from Egypt west to Morocco), the central Mediterranean (Sicily, Malta, Sardinia, and western Italy), and the Far West (southern Spain and the Balearics, and Atlantic coastal Africa). In surveying these regions, emphasis will be placed on the commercial objectives of Phoenician trade and colonization, which was largely driven by the pursuit of valued raw materials, especially ores and precious metals.

It has been observed previously that the digestive gland of the carnivorous gastropod mollusc, Murex trunculus, does not accumulate metals which occur in high concentration in the digestive gland of its prey, the detritus-feeding gastropod, Cerithium vulgatum. It is proposed that mechanisms of metal detoxification which operate in C. vulgatum render metals biologically unavailable to M. trunculus. In the present work, this scheme is tested by feeding tissues containing detoxified metals from a gastropod, bivalve and barnacle to carnivorous gastropods. Metals in the prey are accumulated in insoluble granules in the digestive gland of the gastropod, kidney of the bivalve and gut connective tissue of the barnacle. These tissues are fed to the carnivores and the granules pass through the entire length of the gut. They are egested as clean preparations within the faecal pellets and they still contain the metals introduced by the tissues of the prey. This transfer of detoxification between species indicates that the food chain progression of material can result in the reduction of the bioavailability of metals. The observations are recorded by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray microanalysis.

Karyological and morphological studies of Medicago murex with 2n = 16 and 2n = 14 chromosomes were undertaken. Analysis of the somatic chromosomes, using both conventional staining techniques and C-banding, showed that the 2n = 14 karyotype derived from the 2n = 16 karyotype. Plant morphology of the two types differs in relation to the characters of the leaves, florets, and pods. Attempts to obtain hybrids between the two types were completely unsuccessful. From these results it appears that the two M. murex types are not as closely related as has been usually considered and that they should be regarded as two different species.Key words: Medicago murex, chromosome number, C-banding.

Cadmium, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Zn were measured by atomic absorption spectroscopy in the digestive gland of the marine gastropods Cerithium vulgatum, Monodonta spp., Murex trunculus, Conus mediterraneus , and Patella coerulea , sampled during different seasons at four sites near a ferro-nickel smelting plant and two control sites on the east coast of Greece. Near the smelter there were higher concentrations of all metals in Cerithium (except Cu) and Murex , and of Ni and Co in Monodonta , compared with the control sites, which indicated that the plant contaminated the environment. The animals from the contaminated area showed marked differences in concentrations which were associated both with the genera and the sites, while there were no consistent seasonal variations.

1. A soluble propionylcholinesterase from Murex brandaris is purified by affinity chromatography on a procainamide-containing gel. 2. Purified enzyme is a protein of 260 kDa with subunits of 66 kDa. 3. On the basis of both kcat/Km and kcat, propionylthiocholine is the best substrate. Acetyl- and butyryl-thiocholine are hydrolyzed at a similar rate. 4. Tetramethylammonium, tetraethylammonium, procainamide, trimethyl(aminophenyl)-ammonium are linear competitive inhibitors. Mixed-type inhibition is shown by tetrapropylammonium and tetrabutylammonium. 5. The kinetic properties of the enzyme from Murex brandaris are compared with those of other invertebrate cholinesterases.

Serological assays for human T-cell lymphotropic virus types 1 and 2 (HTLV-1/2) are widely used in routine screening of blood donors. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of four commercial screening assays for HTLV-1/2 infection frequently used in South America. A total of 142 HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 seropositive and 336 seronegative samples were analyzed by using four commercial tests (BioKit, Vironostika, Murex and Fujirebio). These tests are commonly used for HTLV-1/2 detection in blood banks in Argentina. A nested-PCR was used as the reference standard. The most sensitive tests for HTLV-1/2 were Fujirebio and Biokit (98.6%) followed by Murex (97.2%) and Vironostika (96.5%). The most specific test was Murex (99.7%), followed by Biokit (97.0%), Fujirebio (95.8%), and Vironostika (92.9%). The kappa index of agreement was higher for Murex (κ = 0.97), followed by BioKit (κ = 0.94), Fujirebio (κ = 0.92), and Vironostika (κ = 0.86). The highest index of agreement was shown by Murex test while Vironostika had the lowest performance. Of the four tests evaluated, only the Vironostika assay is approved by the Food and Drug Administration. These results should be considered for choosing the most accurate serological screening assays in order to obtain an optimal efficiency of the current algorithm for HTLV-1/2 diagnosis. Fil: Berini, Carolina Andrea. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Departamento de Microbiología. Centro Nacional de Referencia para el Sida; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay; Argentina Fil: Susana Pascuccio, M.. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Agudos "Juan A. Fernández"; Argentina Fil: Bautista, Christian T.. Asociacion Benefica Prisma Lima; Perú Fil: Gendler, Silvina A.. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Agudos "Juan A. Fernández"; Argentina Fil: Eirin, Maria Emilia. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Departamento de Microbiología. Centro Nacional de Referencia para el Sida; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay; Argentina Fil: Rodriguez, Claudia. Hospital de Alta Complejidad “Presidente Juan D. Perón”; Argentina Fil: Pando, María de los Ángeles. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Departamento de Microbiología. Centro Nacional de Referencia para el Sida; Argentina Fil: Biglione, Mirna Marcela. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Departamento de Microbiología. Centro Nacional de Referencia para el Sida; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay; Argentina

Para cada doador de sangue soropositivo (ELISA, Abbott®) para HTLV-I/II, de dezembro de 1998 a março de 2001, também foram selecionados dois soronegativos. As amostras séricas foram re-testadas pelo ELISA (Murex®) e aquelas que permaneceram soropositivas foram testadas pelo Western Blot e pela PCR. Das 11.121 amostras séricas, 73 (0,66%) foram positivas (Abbott®), mas somente 12 (0,11%) permaneceram positivas (Murex®), enquanto que as 146 soronegativas foram confirmadas, apesar de ser sofrível o índice de concordância entre os dois ELISA. O Western Blot confirmou as 12 amostras como soropositivas: 8 (0,07%) HTLV-I; duas (0,02%) HTLV-II e duas (0,02%) indeterminadas - sendo pela PCR uma pelo HTLV-I e a outra pelo HTLV-II. Em conclusão, nessa população da Amazônia Ocidental foi muito baixa a soroprevalência de HTLV-I/II, apesar de ser esperada maior prevalência do HTLV-II devido a grande miscigenação racial indígena.

The fourth season of the current project at Euesperides (Benghazi) took place in Spring 2002. Excavations continued in Areas P, Q and R, accompanied by limited augering work to determine the limits of surviving archaeology to the south of the Sidi Abeid mound. Excavations in Area P revealed part of a courtyard house from the penultimate phase of the site, with a probableandronandgunaikon. Its destruction is dated to after 261 BC. In Area Q work concentrated on the dismantling of street deposits and associated flanking houses from the later phases of the city's life; a soakaway drainage feature under the street was also investigated. The sequence of city wall circuits and their post-abandonment robbing was clarified. In Area R excavations established the structure of the mound of deposits deriving from the production of purple dye fromMurex trunculusshellfish, and its relationship to the robbed-out walls of the courtyard building within which this activity occurred. The processing of ceramic finds underlines the active trading contacts enjoyed by Euesperides, with most of the fine pottery and a fifth of the coarse pottery being imported from overseas, and transport amphorae ranging in origin from the Straits of Gibraltar to the northern Aegean. The coin finds confirm that the city was abandoned after the death of Magas (258/250 BC); and it appears that the Herakles types, common at the site, were minted there under Thibron (323–322/322 BC).

Bela Leach in Gray is a misapplied and broadly defined genus within the family Mangeliidae Fischer, 1883. Examination of material from the Montagu collection at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery (RAMM) in Exeter (UK) led to the discovery of six specimens of Murex nebula Montagu 1803 (the type species of Bela ). This material is considered to belong to the original lot used by Montagu to define his species. We selected the best-preserved specimen as a lectotype. The lectotype and paralectotypes deposited at the RAMM are fully described and illustrated. Furthermore, diagnostic characters for recognizing B. nebula specimens are presented: protoconch shows weak ornamentation; teleoconch is fusiform with slightly convex whorls characterized by broad, suture-to-suture ribs and dense but weak spiral elements; outer lip is thin; anal sinus is shallow, placed on the shoulder ramp. These key features are of basic importance for: i) restricting the usage of the genus Bela and promoting its stability and consistent usage in literature and ii) separating two allied (and sometimes interchanged) genera: Bela and Mangelia Risso 1826.

A total of 502 yeast isolates were tested with the 30-min Murex, Candida albicans CA50 (Norcross, GA) test for presumptive identification of C. albicans . The results were compared with the standard 2-h germ tube test, which was the reference standard. Of the 502 isolates, 316 were C. albicans and 186 were non- C. albicans . Identifications were based on germ tube reactions; the API20C and chlamydospore agars were used when discrepant results persisted between the germ tube and Murex test after repeat testing of the Murex method. A total of 16 C. albicans gave negative results on initial testing with the Murex test but were interpreted as positive when repeated. Three germ tube negative yeasts initially tested positive with the Murex but were negative when repeated. Two additional yeast isolates gave incorrect results with the Murex, even with repeat testing: C. albicans and C. lusitaniae . The initial sensitivity and specificity for the Murex, C. albicans CA50 test were 94.6% and 97.8%, respectively. As an addition to the study, two fetal bovine sera were compared for production of germ tubes: fetal bovine serum and Fetal Clone II. The testing found them to be in 100% agreement.

Three commercially available 3rd-generation anti-HCV ELISAs (Abbott, Murex and Ortho) were evaluated in various serum panels : (A) blood donor samples (n = 403) with 1st- or 2nd-generation anti-HCV ELISA (various manufacturers) positive test results ; (B) non-A, non-B hepatitis patients (n = 212) ; (C) multitransfused patients (n = 253) ; (D) serial dilutions of HCV confirmed (RIBA and PCR) positive blood donors (n = 24), and (E) first-time blood donors (n = 1,055). All samples of panels A, B and C were tested in PCR and RIBA-2. In panels A, B and C, 398 samples were HCV PCR positive : all were detected by Abbott and Ortho, and 397 (99.7%) by Murex. The sample missed by the Murex ELISA showed an isolated anti-C33c reactivity in RIBA-2. In panels A-C, 442 samples were RIBA-2 positive and all were detected by the 3 tests. With Probit analysis on results of panel D, no significant difference in sensitivity was observed between the 3 evaluated ELISAs. Specificities of Abbott, Murex and Ortho in 1,055 blood donors were 99.7, 99.3 and 99.9%, respectively (NS, X 2 ). We conclude that the sensitivity and specificity of the 3 ELISAs are comparable although the C33c antigen in the Murex VK47 test should be improved.

A total of 920 samples from blood donors screened as anti-HCV negative by two third-generation screening assays (Ortho Diagnostics v3.0 and Murex Diagnostics VK48) were tested by two supplementary anti-HCV assays, RIBA III (Ortho Diagnostics) and Western blot (Murex Diagnostics VK68). Six (0.65%) of the samples gave scorable bands by RIBA III and 5 (0.54%) by Western blot. Only single-band reactivity was seen and there was no consensus reactivity between the two assays. Single-band reactivity in supplementary assays, especially in samples from low-risk populations, needs to be interpreted with care before being taken as indication of genuine previous or current HCV infection.

The presence of N-acetylmuramic acid in glycoconjugates in various mollusc tissues was investigated by histochemical and immunocytochemical techniques. The tissues studied included foot, mantle, digestive gland, ganglia and haemocytes of Helix aspersa, Planorbarius corneus, Murex brandaris and Trunculariposis trunculus. Sialic acid residues were found to be absent. The possibility that N-acetylmuramic acid replaces sialic acid in acid glycoconjugates of gastropods with similar properties is discussed.

The molluscan taxa named by George Perry in his two publications, the Arcana; or the museum of natural history:, etc., published in 1810–1811, and the Conchology of 1811 are listed with notations on their current status, some figures being identified to the species level for the first time, some being placed in the synonymy of earlier names and others declared nomina dubia. Five species that are identified as previously unused senior subjective synonyms of names in current usage and one unused senior primary homonym are declared nomina oblita. Those declared herein to be nomina oblita are: Triplex cornuta Perry, 1811; Buccinella quadrata Perry, 1811; Cassis rotundata Perry, 1811; Aranea tentacula Perry, 1811; Buccinella tuberculata Perry, 1811; and Solen viride [sic; correctly viridis]. The names conserved are, respectively: Murex brevifrons Lamarck, 1822; Cancellaria spengleriana Deshayes, 1830; Cassis madagascariensis Lamarck, 1822; Murex cabritii Bernardi, 1859; Turbinella [now Vasum] globulus Lamarck, 1816; and Solen viridis Say, 1822.Three Perry species are shown to be senior synonyms of names in current use but do not qualify for nomen oblitum status under the Code. They are: Tellina aurea Perry, 1811; Triplex rosaria Perry, 1811; and Voluta pattersonia Perry, 1811. Junior subjective synonyms affected by these three are, respectively: Tellina vulsella Hanley, 1845; Chicoreus palmarosae (Lamarck, 1822); and Lyria nucleus (Lamarck, 1811). Type species designations for Perry’s genera are listed and type species are designated for Columna and Strigula. The treatment of Perry’s Conchology by other authors is discussed. Three distinct editions of the Conchology are identified. Perry’s Arcana is the subject of another paper now in preparation but its mollusks are treated herein.

Murex medic (Medicago murex Willd.) seedling recruitment is more sensitive to soil water at the time of emergence than subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.). Murex medic pods normally lay on the soil surface. Shallow burial of pods may be beneficial when soil moisture is marginal for germination and emergence. In addition, the tightly coiled structure of murex medic pods may also act as a barrier to water uptake by the seed. Two methods of burying murex medic pods were investigated in the field: (i) trampling by sheep hooves through summer grazing; and (ii) through light cultivation in autumn. A glasshouse experiment was also conducted to examine the interaction between the length of time that the soil stays moist and pod burial for CD26 and CD53 murex medic and Dalkeith, Junee, Seaton Park and Woogenellup subterranean clover. In the glasshouse, pod burial was important for the attainment of maximum emergence in all genotypes when soil water was limiting. However, pod structure did not appear to have a limiting role in germination and emergence in murex medic. When tested in the field, pod burial by sheep trampling through summer grazing improved emergence in CD26, possibly because the smaller more open pod was more easily trampled than that of CD53. Summer grazing in CD53 and Dalkeith and autumn cultivation in all genotypes did not improve emergence; possible reasons for this are discussed so to is the role of murex medic in ley farming systems in eastern Australia.

The sale of kits that are widely used throughout the NHS for testing blood for the presence of hepatitis C virus was banned by a High Court judge in Britain last week. He held that a Californian biotechnology company effectively owns the patent on hepatitis C virus, which it discovered in 1987. The permanent ban on kits made by Murex Diagnostic Laboratories and Organon Teknika follows a ruling last May by Mr Justice Aldous that the kits infringed a patent on the virus owned by Chiron Corporation. Murex, a British company, and Organon, a …

An improved technique for successful artificial hybridization in annual medic (Medicago spp.) is described. Using a previously reported method, only four out of seven species were successfully crossed, with the percentage of success ranging from 3 to 22%. Initial modifications to this technique gave a 7-8 fold increase in the successful crossing rate in M. murex and M. polymorpha medic, from 9 to 64% with M. murex and from 10 to 82% with M. polymorpha. Further modifications to the technique resulted in a success rate of 100% in both species. The numbers of seeds per pod obtained from crosses in both species were also increased by using the modified techniques compared to the established method. Selection of larger, more mature flowers, differences in flower cutting position, as well as post pollination position were the main modifications which accounted for the greatly improved success rate. The modified technique was subsequently applied successfully to obtain for the first time inter-specific crosses involving M. polymorphax M. murex, M. polymorphax M. sphaerocarpos, M.murexx M. sphaerocarpos, M. solerolii x M. littoralis/M.truncatula hybrid, M. solerolii x M, tornata, and M. littoralis/M.truncatula hybrid x M. sphaerocarpos.

Four new species are described and discussed: from BoliviaM. (sect.Habbasia ser.Setosae)huanchacae; from SE brazilM. (sect.Habbasia ser.Pachycarpae)chiliomera andM. (sect.Mimosa)murex; and from EcuadorM. (sect.Mimosa subser.Polycarpae)Loxensis. The two Brazilian species are illustrated.

Species recognised are: Cymatium (Monoplex) pileare (Linne, 1758), Indo-West Pacific only; C. (M.) aquatile (Reeve, 1844), Indo-West Pacific and eastern and western Atlantic; C. (M.) intermedium (Pease, 1869), Indo-West Pacific only, and rare away from the Hawaiian Islands; C. (M.) martinianum (d'Orbigny, 1845), eastern and western Atlantic (with one possible record from Midway I., central Pacific); C. (M.) macrodon (Valenciennes, 1832), Panamic western America; and C. (M.) vestitum (Hinds, 1844), Panamic western America. The western American C. (M.) parthenopeum keenae (Beu, 1971) is differentiated from C. (M.) vestitum, lectotypes are proposed for Murex pileare Linne, 1758 and Triton martinianum d'Orbigny, 1845, and a neotype is proposed for Triton macrodon Valenciennes, 1832. The fossil species C. (M.) cercadicum (Maury, 1917) and C. (M.) rembangense (Wanner & Hahn, 1935) are briefly compared with modern species, and previous fossil records of “Cymatium pileare” from the Americas are reidentified.

Marine snails (Murex trunculus) from the Adriatic Sea were exposed to cadmium in the laboratory under chronic (0.05 mg·L−1) and acute 5 mg·L−1) conditions. More than 5 mg·L−1 cadmium were required to lethally damageMurex trunculus during an exposure of 96 hr. Compared with untreated animals, chronic exposure ofMurex trunculus to 0.05 mg Cd·L−1 results in an elevated rate of oxygen consumption. The difference between the two groups of snails increases with time. After one month, a 10% greater loss in biomass in treated animals than in controls was observed, reflecting the higher energy expenditure during exposure to 0.05 mg Cd·L−1. An acute cadmium shock of 5 mg Cd·L−1 caused depression of oxygen consumption both in the control and in long-term preexposed snails to 0.05 mg Cd·L−1. If pre-exposure to a low (0.05 mg·L−1) concentration of cadmium lasted for a short time only (18 hr) a subsequent acute cadmium shock (5 mg·L−1) did not lead to a depression of the rate of oxygen consumption.